Unique autos; Red Hot Jazz; Honoring Rosa Parks

DETROIT — Teamsters Local 1038 President Greg Nowak was sworn in Wednesday as the new president of Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43 by Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. Nowak assumes the responsibilities of his new position effective Friday.

“I welcome this opportunity to serve as the voice for Michigan Teamsters as we work to enhance our strength in the workplace, the bargaining table and the political arena,” said Nowak, a 30-year Teamster who was a beer truck driver before becoming a union officer. “We all know these are challenging times, especially with the newly-enacted right-to-work law here in Michigan.”

Take a look at unique automobiles

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CLAWSON — Take a tour of a unique automobile collection with Bob Sadler, Detroit Historical Society director of public/external relations, as he presents the program “COOL CARS: Unique Automobiles of the Detroit Historical Society Collection” at 7 p.m. Monday at the Blair Memorial Library, 416 N. Main St.

Register for this free program at the library or by phone at 248-588-5500.

A Night of Red Hot Jazz

WARREN — The joint will be jumpin’ with hot jazz and great fun on Feb. 9 at Rackham Choir’s largest fundraiser, A Night of Red Hot Jazz.

The event features pianist Alvin Waddles, the “King of the Keyboard,” and members of the cast of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” as well as a performance by members of the Rackham Ensemble Singers, dining, dancing and a silent auction.

Tickets are $75 and include hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, and a sit-down dinner. Reservations are required and can be made and prepaid online at www.rackhamchoir.org or by phoning 313-404-0222. Reservations must be made by Feb. 4.

The Henry Ford honors Rosa Parks

DEARBORN — On Monday, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ birth, The Henry Ford will honor her inspiring life through a National Day of Courage, encouraging every American to take a stand and commit themselves to do something courageous. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks, a 42-year-old black woman who worked as a seamstress, inspired a social movement when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus. That singular act of courage helped spark the civil rights movement and a new era in the American quest for freedom and equality.

DETROIT — Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix officials are teaming up with the College for Creative Studies, based in Detroit’s Midtown district, and Autoweek to host a poster design competition featuring CCS illustration students.

Through the competition, one student will be selected to create the official commemorative poster to represent the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, scheduled for May 31-June 2.

Approximately 25 CCS illustration studies students will participate in the Grand Prix poster design competition as part of their curriculum this spring. Designs will be submitted in mid-March with five finalists selected from all the entries. A five-judge panel will then evaluate the identified top designs when they meet with each finalist to learn the thought process behind their creations. From there, a winning design will be selected by the panel. The official 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix poster will be unveiled in April.

‘Detroitland: A Collection of Movers …’

ROYAL OAK — Local historian and journalist Richard Bak will be on hand to discuss his book, “Detroitland: A Collection of Movers, Shakers, Lost Souls and History Makers from Detroit’s Past” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Royal Oak Public Library, 222 E. 11 Mile Road. The book covers a century of Detroit’s rich history. Bak relives the scandals, catastrophes and celebrations that have rocked Detroit. Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing after the talk.

Registration is requested and can be done online at www.ropl.org or by calling the adult reference desk at 248-246-3727.

A settlement on the moon?

SOUTHFIELD — Roger Launius, senior curator of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, will discuss Why Go to the Moon: The Many Faces of Lunar Policy at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Marburger Science and Engineering Auditorium at Lawrence Technological University, 21000 W. 10 Mile Road.

The seminar is about the moon as a target for human exploration and eventual settlement. He will cover the more than 50 years of efforts to reach the moon, highlighted by Apollo landings from 1969 to 1972. He will discuss efforts to make the moon a second home, including post Apollo planning, the Space Exploration Initiative, and the problems and opportunities in the 2004 Vision for Space Exploration.